New bus system would be welcome
A fixed-route bus system in Rock Hill has been a dream of city leaders and many residents for years. Now, apparently, it could become a reality virtually overnight.
Mayor Doug Echols presented a plan to city officials last week to establish a citywide transit system that would connect residents with key sites throughout the community. Buses would run 14-15 hours a day with about 10 stops per route, including stops along Cherry Road, Dave Lyle Boulevard, Main Street and Herlong Avenue.
Most of the routes would encircle University Center, site of the former Rock Hill Printing & Finishing Co. now being developed as a complex of apartments, retail stores, student housing and a 140,000-square-foot sports complex. Winthrop University President Dan Mahony touted the plan as a boon to the 40 percent of Winthrop students who don’t have cars.
In the past, efforts to start up a city transit system depended on privately run non-profit organizations that relied on a combination of grants, tax breaks and passenger fares to stay afloat. But they never succeeded in attracting enough riders to established a fixed route that would take people where they wanted to go.
Many residents without cars continued to use low-cost private taxis for essential trips to the doctor or the grocery store. Buses often could be seen cruising around town with one or two passengers, or completely empty.
The Charlotte Area Transit System, which takes riders to and from Charlotte, meets the needs of a number of residents, many of them commuters. York County Access buses fill another niche, transporting passengers to pre-arranged destinations, such as the doctor’s office, pharmacy, or to work.
But York County Access, an on-demand service that operates on grants and a modest subsidy from the county, primarily serves the elderly and people with disabilities. It meets an essential need but is not the full-scale transit service envisioned by city planners.
Unlike past bus services, up to 85 percent of the $2.5 million cost of the proposed system would be paid for with grant money from the Federal Transit Administration. The city would be responsible for about $300,00-$400,000 a year, but Echols said the city could form partnerships with local businesses to help pay those costs.
Businesses could place ads on buses, and Mahony said Winthrop might participate as well. Any remaining costs would be covered by money from the city’s general fund.
The plan, which the city council will consider over the next month, presents the opportunity to establish a fixed-route bus system that connects with all the city’s top attractions without the pressure to make a profit or be self-sustaining. Riders would have ample time to become familiar with the routes and use them on a regular basis.
Another big attraction is that the system would be fare-free. Planners estimated that the collection and accounting for revenues would cost more than the amount actually paid.
City officials hope to use 35-foot electric buses, which could save considerable operational costs over the lifetime of the bus. The buses also would run cleaner than a traditional diesel bus and would have the added benefit of reducing the number of cars on the road.
The plan also includes Wi-Fi on each bus, along with outlets to charge phones.
Past efforts to establish a fixed-route bus system failed for a variety of reasons, but timing also was a factor. Rock Hill now may have the critical mass of riders and destinations to make a bus system practical and sustainable.
City officials say the new plan could “take the community to another level” of growth and tourism. That, we think, is a possibility well worth exploring.
This story was originally published January 15, 2017 at 4:00 PM with the headline "New bus system would be welcome."